Budget panel balks at class-size reduction plan

Wednesday, May 28, 1997 | 10:48 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Gov. Bob Miller's plan for class-size reduction in the third grade has attracted many rivals, bidding for all or part of the $18 million.

And a Senate-Assembly budget subcommittee, building the spending program for education for the next two years, doesn't know which way to fall.

Sen. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, said there may be a more "incremental effect" by sending the money to reduce the size of kindergarten, rather than third grade at this time.

Assembly Speaker Joe Dini, D-Yerington, wonders whether using teacher aides may be more effective in third grade. Assembly Minority Leader Lynn Hettrick, R-Minden, supports giving the school districts the flexibility to decide how best to help the children.

Now in its seventh year, the class-size reduction program has reduced the ratio of teachers to students to 16-1 in all first and second grades and some third grades. Miller wants to complete the third-grade program before he leaves office in 1999.

When the class-size program started, the student-teacher ratio in kindergarten was 21.5 to 1, but the classes have expanded to 23.4-1.

It may be more beneficial, Rawson said, to catch the children earlier. "We have missed the boat on kindergarten," he said during the subcommittee meeting Tuesday.

A survey by the Legislative Fiscal Analysis Division shows 37 percent of the reduced primary classes in the public schools are team taught -- with 32 students in one classroom with two teachers.

This has proven to be not as effective as a single teacher in a room with 16 students, but there aren't enough classrooms for the program.

Jeanne Botts, a program analyst, said a survey shows that if class size is extended full bore to the third grade, 63 percent of the classes will be team taught.

Rawson suggested the reductions in the third grade classes should not be put into effect until there are adequate classrooms.

Dini wondered about an enlarged classroom with a teacher and an aide. This would cost as much but would not require as many added classrooms.

Douglas Thunder, deputy superintendent of public instruction for finance, said that a third grade class size with 25 students with one teacher and one aide would cost about $300,000 more than the 16-1 class size plan. But instead of the more than 600 additional classroom, there would be a need for only 92 more under the 25-1 plan.

Hettrick referred to the "reading recovery" programs in Washoe and Lyon counties where special instruction is given to those who need help. These programs, he said "really move those kids up the ladder," and are better than the rigid 16-1 class size. He said some students benefit while others don't in the 16-1 formula.

Giving school districts the flexibility is the answer, Hettrick said.

Subcommittee members were also upset that while the size of classes in grades one and two have been reduced, the number of students in a classroom in the other grades has expanded.

Assemblywoman Jan Evans, D-Sparks, said the classes "have been swelling in the upper levels and that's a cause for concern."

Rawson said it was clearly stated when primary class-size reductions started, that the number of students should not be increased in the higher grades.

Rawson said that may have to be re-stated in the law.

The subcommittee also heard pleas from school districts that Miller's budget was shortchanging them in per-pupil aid in the next two years. Mike Alastuey, business and finance manager for the Clark County School District, said the proposed state budget is $45 short per student, which amounts to an $8 million deficit.

The school districts in Washoe, Douglas and Storey counties all sent word to the subcommittee they are $40 to $50 short per student in the Miller budget.

Barbara Clark of the Nevada PTA urged the subcommittee to pour more money into education. She said Nevada should be first in the nation in support of public schools and the tops in the nation in salaries for school teachers.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio said school teacher pay, according to the American Federation of Teachers, is 12th or 15th in the nation. "We don't have to apologize for that," he said, adding that education has made out better than many other areas of the budget.